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enGattuso dreaming of managing RangersFormer Rangers man Gennaro Gattuso has expressed his desire to one day return to the club in a managerial capacity.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/gattuso-dreaming-managing-rangers
The Italian spent one season at Ibrox in 1997-98, before a successful 13-year spell in his homeland with Milan.
Since retiring,Gattuso has had jobsin charge of Sion, Palermo and Crete, and was thought to have applied for the job at Hamilton Acamedical, following Alex Neil's departure to Norwich City.
Speaking at a tribute match for former Rangers defender Fernando Ricksen on Sunday, Gattusostated his wish to manage the club, who are currently in Scottish football's second tier as they work their way back towards the top flight following financial ruin.
"My dream is to maybe one day to have the chance to work for this club," he said.
"I played today, but manager is a different job. I am sure 100 per centthat this is a big club."
news_articleMon, 26 Jan 2015 11:58:16 +0000331356 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comGattuso makes U-turn over OFI positionGennaro Gattuso has performed a U-turn and will remain in his role as coach of Greek side OFI after resigning on Sunday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/gattuso-makes-ofi-u-turn
The Italy international walked away from his post after OFI's 3-2 defeat to Asteras Tripolis at the weekend, with quotes reported in the Greek media attributing him as saying he"cannot continue to carry this situation on my shoulders alone".
However, after an apparent change of mind,ex-Milan midfielder Gattuso looks set to remain at the club.
"After long discussions with members of the board and the fans of OFI Crete, and given the love I have generally for the city of Heraklion and the fans of the team, I have now stepped back and will start from the beginning stronger and more united than ever," read a statement from Gattuso on the club's official website.
Gattuso's managerial career has been particularly colourful, having left Sion for Palermo where he was sacked after just three months in the role.
Following his appointment at OFI in June, Gattuso made the headlines across Europe followinga fiery press conference in which he accused his players of lacking heart.
news_articleMon, 27 Oct 2014 15:08:40 +0000276230 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comGianluigi Buffon: One-on-OneAhead of the legendary Italy goalkeepers 500th appearance for Juventus against Genoa, we bring you our exclusive sit-down with the shot-stopper from the July 2014 issue...Matt Barkerhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/gianluigi-buffon-i-wasnt-relaxed-against-england-euro-2012-i-hate-penalties
Goalkeepers aren’t always different. Gianluigi ‘Gigi’ Buffon, despite his superhero nickname and matinee idol, is actually more Everyman than Superman. And Italians like to see the best of themselves in him.
As captain of the national team and his club side Juventus, he’s a very public figure; it’s a role he’s grown into with an easy charm and diplomatic grace.
When, late last year, two Italy fans were killed in a road accident on their way to watch Italy play a friendly in Palermo, an almost statesman-like Buffon spoke with a genuine sadness and sense of loss. He is a rare point of pride for the increasingly beleaguered Italian game.
The 36-year-old also still happens to be a pretty useful keeper. Quite what both club and country will do once Buffon hangs up his gloves has prompted much anxious media debate. For now, though, talk of retirement is firmly on hold. Making himself comfortable in a swanky hotel in Turin's city centre, he’s engaging company, his booming voice and easy chuckle reverberating around the hushed, clubby environs.
However, rather unnervingly, he cheerily sits through the whole interview with his flies gaping open. Maybe it’s a fashion statement. Or maybe keepers really are different after all...
Is it true you started out as a midfielder? How did you end up between the sticks?
Ryan Stone, via email
Yeah, it’s true. I guess every kid starts off playing football wanting to score goals rather than keep them out. Was I a striker as well? Yes, for a while. I was OK at it; I enjoyed it. I ended up in goal by chance, really. My dad pushed me towards it a bit, but then I also really wanted to be like Thomas N’Kono, the Cameroon goalkeeper. I was a bit reluctant at first, but the [1990] World Cup was on and I’d watch that great Cameroon side. N’Kono was such an important member of the team.
Your dad came second at the European Athletics Junior Championships and your mum was a champion shot-putter. Did she teach you how to throw a football?
Ben Driver, via email
My dad, my mum, my sister – everybody. Shot put? No, no, it was the discus. She was an Italian record holder in the event. But yeah, my father was a really good athlete as well – it was a very sports-minded family. Did it help me growing up? I think so, yes. You take sports more seriously, perhaps. You certainly have the support of your family, which is important.
Who were your heroes as a kid – and who would you say is the best goalkeeper ever?
Fiona Makepeace, via email
Oh, I had lots of heroes, but none were particularly conventional. There was N’Kono, but also his team-mate, Roger Milla. I really loved to watch Cameroon – they were my second team after Italy. I was a big tennis fan as well and I always liked [Ivan] Lendl, [Stefan] Edberg and [Pat] Rafter.
I heard that your professional debut for Parma saw you face Milan – and Weah, Baggio and Savicevic. Is that right? Were you as confident and vocal then as you are now?
Massimo Robinson, via email
It was a beautiful day, a beautiful experience – the realisation of a dream I’d worked towards for years. And I had a good game. I didn’t let in any goals [the match finished 0-0]. I was confident, and where I wanted to be. Did I have a shout at the defenders? I think so. I hope so. It’s what goalkeepers do.
Much was made of your €45 million transfer fee when you joined Juventus in 2001. How blown away were you when you heard that fee? What would you say to someone who believes no keeper is worth that much?
Leon Adams, via email
It was a big satisfaction for me. I really didn’t have any problems with it at all. In that sort of transfer market, I was seen as... we could say a phenomenon of sorts, but that was down to the price tag more than anything else. Juventus went to see me play, thought “f***, this Buffon really is a phenomenon” and paid a lot of money for me. If they had paid five million rather than 45 then it wouldn’t have made such a big splash. But the market determines the price. A good goalkeeper is vital for a good team, just as valuable as a good striker. And sometimes just as expensive. Would I have signed for Juve for five million? Yeah, I would. I’m not sure Parma would have been too happy, though...
You suffered from depression 10 years ago and even reached the point where you were afraid to walk onto the pitch. Who knew about it, and why didn’t you take a break?
Graham Dowling, via email
Who knew about it? I knew about it. And I had to keep it to myself because, at the beginning at least, I didn’t really have the opportunities to be open about it; I didn’t know if I could talk about it to anyone. But then, very gradually, I would chat about it to friends, to team-mates, people really close to me, and I began to understand I had a problem and that it was something that could be dealt with and cured. I didn’t take a break because I felt this great responsibility to my team-mates and to people who relied on me; I didn’t want to let them down. And I didn’t feel like I could stop playing: I didn’t think that would be seen as an acceptable way of doing things, not with that responsibility. I had a European Championship to play in. [FFT: Has that attitude within the game changed towards depression?] I think so. I hope so. It helped to see a psychologist, but as I said, the support of friends and team-mates was a big thing for me.
How devastating was it to see Juventus’s titles stripped because of the 2006 Calciopoli scandal? It seemed to inspire Italy to glory at the World Cup; do you think you still would have won the tournament if it wasn’t for that scandal?
John Kerridge, Kent
On a professional level, as a player, to have all that success taken away from you like that was devastating, yes. It deprived me of future successes and it deprived me of two successes from the past [laughs bitterly]. We certainly arrived at the World Cup in Germany as the centre of attention and with the conviction that – in what was a delicate moment – we had to do something big on the pitch to respond to everything that had been going on. We were in determined mood, but then I never really thought we were going to win the tournament, so I’m not sure if it [Calciopoli] had much to do with it.
What’s the best save you’ve ever made? It has to be that one-handed save from Zidane in extra-time in the 2006 World Cup Final, right?
Dominic Howe, via Twitter
The best? Er… hmmm… the one against Zidane? Yeah, that was probably the most important save of my career, but I’m not sure if it was really the best… [frowns] Oh, I don’t know. But yes, it was absolutely the most important.
Was it an easy choice to stay with Juventus when they were demoted to Serie B? What did you make of the likes of Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic walking awayfrom the club? And how much did you enjoy playing in the second tier?
Ollie, via Twitter
[Laughs] Of course it was easy, because they threw a load of money at me! No, no, I’m just kidding, of course! It was the opposite... no, playing in Serie B wasn’t a logical choice, but it was one of those made by the heart. Other players in the squad made other choices. That was up to them. The choices you make in life can be tough, they might not make your life any easier, but they make you the person that you are. Serie B was certainly an experience, but I have mixed feelings about it. To say I enjoyed it wouldn’t be the right word, but yes, that season was an experience...
You don’t look like you fear anyone, but which player do or did you least like to face in one-on-ones?
Evanesce Insomniac, via Twitter
The absolute best player I’ve ever had to face was Ronaldo, the Brazilian, who was a champion without equal – an incredible player. An Italian? It would have to be a player who was the most grande expression of Italian football: Roberto Baggio.
Is Antonio Conte more impressive as a team-mate or as manager? Was it weird to be managed by someone who you’d played with for so long?
David Robinson, Bromley
As a team-mate, Conte was an excellent player, a very charismatic player – someone who was always a great example out on the pitch for others to follow. And now he’s a coach, I think he’s very good. Was it a bit strange? No, no, not at all. He always had that thing about him, way before he ever became a coach. He always had a certain stature about him.
Andrea Pirlo recently proclaimed his locker space at Juventus to be “the most dangerous spot in Turin”, because of its proximity to the door that Conte often storms through to deliver a half-time rant. Is Conte the most fired-up boss you’ve had? Surely Capello was worse?
Liam Towney, via email
He’s a coach who really likes to transmit his energy to the players. [Pauses, as if a little guarded] If he’s angry about something that has happened on the pitch then he lets you know, yes. Capello was worse? No... Conte, maybe because he’s a younger man, a younger coach, lives the whole 90 minutes – he really puts all his energy into it. A coach like Capello, with all that experience, can sometimes be a little more distant.
I remember you giving Steven Gerrard a cheeky slap around the face at the coin toss just before the Euro 2012 quarter-final shootout against England. Were you that relaxed, or was it mind games to unsettle the opposition? Would you be so relaxed if required to take a spot-kick?
Tim Bradley, via email
No, no, I wasn’t relaxed against the English. And I’m never relaxed when the game goes to penalties. Look: you go to penalties, you’ve got a 50 per cent chance of winning, but a 50 per cent chance of losing. But the thing with me is, I’m one of those handful of goalkeepers who are always expected to save at least one or two of those penalties. And if I don’t do that, I’m going to be judged really harshly by the press. So no, I can’t relax before penalties.
Is it right that Mario Balotelli blamed the Juventus players for losing the Euro 2012 final against Spain – and you angrily wrestled him to the floor in the changing room after the game? Who won the fight?!
Trevor Jenkins, via email
He did what? Wrestling?! No, no, that’s not true. [Laughs] Anyway, he couldn’t really say that, could he? There were quite a few Juve players in that team! [Six started the game]
I’ve never seen a footballer sing a national anthem with as much passion as you. What are you thinking about when you shut your eyes, and are you just as passionate at karaoke?
Luca Antonoli, via email
I’m thinking that I’m happy and honoured to be an Italian and someone who’s truly lucky to be able to represent my country. Karaoke? [Laughs] Well, it all depends on the song...
Who’s the biggest joker of a team-mate you’ve had? I bet it’s Gattuso...
Bryan Henderson, via email
Yeah, it would have to be Rino [Gattuso]. We still enjoy a close friendship – he can always make me laugh. [Slightly wistfully] Ah, Rino...
Wearing the right gear is crucial for a keeper, so why the short sleeves?
Steve Mason, Facebook
I really don’t know why. It’s just something that I’ve always done, right from the time I first started playing in goal. It always felt good. And now look: lots of goalkeepers do it. I’ve started a fashion.
If you hadn’t made it in football, what do you think you would you be doing now?
H Silva, via Twitter
Pffffft... I have no idea. I have no idea because, from when I was a kid, I’ve followed this dream of being a footballer and I never thought it wouldn’t happen. There was never a moment when I thought of doing anything else.
You’ve spoken before about enjoying being an entertainer and creating a spectacle for the crowd. Do you think football shouldstill value these qualities when there is so much at stake?
Seb Moore, via email
Yes, but these things shouldn’t just be a question of money or whatever. If you play for a big club, you’re obliged to win – you have to do it. So I suppose it’s normal that the idea of playing football for enjoyment, to please the crowds, becomes less and less important. But if you go out onto the pitch and the only objective is to beat your opponent, then it’s not really about enjoying yourself.
You look just like a young Al Pacino, Gigi. Ever met him? What’s your favourite Pacino movie?
Neil Hendon, via email
[Frowns] Who? Pacino? Really? Nooooo! [Suddenly brightens up] No, really? It’s not bad, though, is it? Hmmm. OK! No, I’ve never met him. My favourite film of his? Oh, Scarface is the best. Definitely.
Italian sides have struggled in the Champions League of late. Why would you say this is? And how far do you think Serie A lags behind La Liga and the Premier League right now?
Jan Fairless, via email
Yes, yes, it’s true... Italy is having a very tough time economically, and so Italian football suffers as well.
There isn’t the sort of money in the game that there was 10 years ago, 20 years ago and yes, we’ve fallen behind, but we [Juventus] came close to success in Europe last season. Will Serie A come good again? I know it will, because these things go around in circles. They do.
Goalkeepers seem to be playing to a later age these days. What would you say is the peak age for a keeper, and how long do you think you can go on for? Are you targeting 150 caps for Italy?
Lenny Goodhall, via email
Maybe up until you’re 28, 29, 30, it’s about your physicality, your agility, but after that things change a little and your experience as a keeper begins to kick in. You know how to approach the important games, the sort of thing you only know from experience. And to have that kind of experience, I think you need to be over 30. But there’s a pay-off to that, because you can’t do the same things you could do as a young man. So I don’t know if we can really say there is a peak age, as the two ages can be just as important, for different reasons. Good goalkeepers improve all the time, though. Yes, 150 caps would be a great achievement. Let’s see.
You and Iker Casillas have been the best two keepers in world football for the last decade. Who would you say are the next two on that list?
BenIsAinDom, via Twitter
I like Joe Hart: he’s still young and he can become a great keeper. Among the other young keepers I really like the Belgian, [Thibaut] Courtois.
What single bit of advice would you give an aspiring young goalkeeper looking to make it as a professional?
Jerry JD Redwine, via Twitter
One bit of advice? To swap position... no, no, I’m absolutely serious! You have to be a real masochist to do this as a job. And a bit perverse. Think about it: you’re playing a game where everyone uses their feet, but you want to use your hands...
You’re already the most capped Italian player and Brazil was your fifth World Cup. Are you aiming to make it six inRussia in 2018?
Hassan Assad, via email
Yes, there could also be a sixth. [Laughs] But you know, I really haven’t thought about that, not just yet. We’ll see.
This feature originally appeared in the July 2014 issue of FourFourTwo. Subscribe!
featureSun, 29 Jun 2014 00:01:00 +0000Joe Brewin276287 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comInzaghi destined to be a coach, says GattusoGennaro Gattuso believes Filippo Inzaghi was destined to be a coach but urged Milan to show patience if he replaces Clarence Seedorf.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/inzaghi-destined-be-coach-says-gattuso
Seedorf's future as Milan head coach remains shrouded in doubt, and Inzaghi is viewed as the most likely successor should the Dutchman depart San Siro.
Gattuso was a team-mate of both Seedorf and Inzaghi at Milan during his playing career, and urged the Italian giants to allow Inzaghi time if he is appointed.
Speaking toGazzetta dello Sport,he said: "Filippo Inzaghi has always been destined (to be a coach).
"For many of us when he played he seemed an athlete of pure instinct, but behind that was work.
"There has always been an intense phase of study. He knew his opponents better than anyone else.
"It was natural that he has arrived as coach of the first team, but Inzaghi is a young coach and must be protected."
Milan endured a difficult campaign last season, eventually limping to an eighth-place finish in Serie A.
news_articleFri, 06 Jun 2014 09:50:36 +0000187302 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comGattuso: Prandelli had to pick Chiellini for ItalyGennaro Gattuso said Italy coach Cesare Prandelli couldnt leave Giorgio Chiellini out of his squad due to the defenders importance.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/gattuso-prandelli-had-pick-chiellini
Juventus defender Chiellini was banned for three matches on video evidence after an altercation with Roma attacker Miralem Pjanic in the Serie A on Sunday.
Prandelli's code of ethics, which warns players against ill-discipline at club level, were expected to potentially see Chiellini left out of Italy's 30-man FIFA World Cup squad.
But former Italy international Gattuso said the code was hard to enforce, while pointing out Chiellini's importance to Prandelli's side.
“Prandelli adopted the code of ethics, but it is a tough thing to implement. Chiellini is an important player and he couldn't leave him out," Gattuso told Radio Sportiva.
"In any case, his half an elbow on Miralem Pjanic didn't seem all that violent."
Italy have been drawn in a tough Group D at the World Cup, taking on Uruguay, England and Costa Rica.
Gattuso said hosts Brazil and Germany and Argentina were the teams to beat at the World Cup.
He also warned Prandelli of Italy's slow starts, with the four-time world champions having failed to win their opening games at the past three major tournaments.
"Brazil are the team to beat at the World Cup, but the Germans always go far and watch out for Argentina, as now they are very organised," Gattuso said.
"Italy are a strange side, as we need a bit of itching powder on the backside to get us going. History teaches us this."
news_articleFri, 16 May 2014 03:38:17 +0000173704 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comGattuso: I would kill myself over match-fixingFormer Italy international Gennaro Gattuso has claimed he would be prepared to take his own life if he was found guilty of match-fixing.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/i-would-kill-myself-over-match-fixing-says-gattuso
It was revealed on Tuesday that the ex-Milan midfielder, along with former Italy team-mate Cristian Brocchi, was connected to a case that saw four men arrested on Monday.
But 2006 FIFA World Cup winner Gattuso insists the prospect of pre-determining the outcome of a match has never crossed his mind.
"Never have I ever had the slightest thought about possibly fixing a game," he is quoted as telling Sky Sport Italia by La Repubblica Sport.
"If something was proven I would be willing to go out into the street and, I know this is a strong thing to say, I would kill myself.
"Anyone who knows me knows that I can't stand to lose even a practice game, not even a game of cards with my friends.
"I'm angry and offended. I want to clear everything up so I don't have a stain on my career."
Meanwhile, the player's agent, Andrea D'Amico, stressed there was not yet a cause for panic.
"We are remaining calm and we have to be patient and see how the investigation develops.
"However, just because he is under investigation does not mean anything, for all we know this could be just false allegations.
"Sometimes when you are a famous player, it is very easy for your name to appear and to be a target.
"We will wait and see how the situation develops."
Gattuso, who spent 13 years at Milan as a player, has been out of work since being sacked as coach of Serie B club Palermo in September.
news_articleWed, 18 Dec 2013 08:44:23 +000095327 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comGattuso determined to clear his name over fixingFormer Italy international Gennaro Gattuso has protested his innocence after being placed under investigation for alleged match-fixing.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/gattuso-determined-clear-his-name
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Cremona chief prosecutor Roberto Di Martino said Gattuso and Cristian Brocchi - another ex-Italy international - were connected to a case that saw four arrests made overnight.
Gattuso, who spent 13 years at Milan and won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, has vowed to clear his name, insisting he has done nothing wrong.
Gattuso, 35, told Sport Mediaset: "I'm angry and offended (by the allegations).
"I'm calm and I'm going to clarify everything.
"I do not want to have these marks on my career. I have never gambled in my life."
At Tuesday's press conference, Di Martino said: "Gattuso and Brocchi were connected to the case by the use of phone taps.
"The four people arrested are Salvatore Spadaro, Francesco Bazzani, Cosimo Rinci and Fabio Quadri, whom are suspected of helping connect fixers to players."
news_articleTue, 17 Dec 2013 16:05:01 +000095106 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comFinances holding back Milan, claims GattusoMilan are suffering from a lack of investment in the playing squad, according to former midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/finances-holding-back-milan-claims-gattuso
Massimiliano Allegri's side have won just three league games this season and sit 11th in Serie A following a 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina on Saturday.
Gattuso, who spent 13 years at San Siro before managerial stints at Sion and Palermo, claims the club have been held back by financial limitations.
"You have to spend a lot of money to build strong sides," he told Che Tempo Che Fa.
"This is a moment in time where little investment is being made, the opposite from what president Silvio Berlusconi has done throughout his reign."
Furthermore, Gattuso claims that leaders Roma, holders Juventus and in-form Napoli have all pulled away from Milan in terms of quality.
"Today, Roma, Napoli and Juventus have something more than Milan because they have spent a lot on new players," he added.
Milan's next match sees them face Spanish champions Barcelona at Camp Nou in Group H of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
news_articleMon, 04 Nov 2013 12:37:57 +000080589 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com